South Korea’s Crypto Market Hits $449.1 Billion with AI Assets Leading

South Korea’s cryptocurrency market activity surged to an estimated $449.1 billion in the 12 months ending June 30, 2026, marking a 12.3% increase from the previous year. This growth was driven by a $51.1 billion rise in exchange-related flows. Comparatively, other Asian markets saw lower activity, with Japan at $228.3 billion, Hong Kong at $192.2 billion, China at $176.3 billion, and Taiwan at $140.4 billion during the same period.

AI-themed assets emerged as the dominant category in won-denominated trading, surpassing payment tokens like XRP. This shift highlights the growing interest in AI-related cryptocurrencies within South Korea’s market. The AI category does not include 413 smaller or unclassified symbols, meaning it covers only a portion of the total crypto trading in won.

Among AI-themed assets, Worldcoin (WLD) recorded the highest trading volume in South Korea, with $7.41 billion. Other notable AI assets included SAHARA at $3.2 billion, VIRTUAL at $2.7 billion, BIO at $2 billion, and NEAR at $1.7 billion. In June 2026, AI assets accounted for 0.91% of yen-denominated activity in Japan, while in South Korea, they represented 19.5 times that share.

The reporting period spanned from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, and included inflows to services, domestic peer-to-peer transfers, and cross-border transactions. The estimates also considered web traffic, which can be influenced by VPNs and other tools that mask users’ locations. Additionally, a 22% tax on crypto profits was set to begin in South Korea in early 2027, though lawmakers have previously delayed similar measures.